4 Posts
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1648
March 15th, 2022 13:00
Dell Inspiron 3891
On Sunday, I replaced my 15 year-old refurbished HP with a Dell Inspiron 3891, and here we are on Tuesday, the brand-new-out-of-the-box Dell has been hooked up to ethernet, power, monitor, keyboard and mouse, since Sunday night. All I have been able to accomplish thus far is the country, language, keyboard type, and name the computer.
I have the white light on on the power button. Next to the card reader another white light blinks intermittently. Under the ethernet plug, there's a steady green light. On the monitor, it's a dark gray background, and the white cursor, which moved if I move the mouse.
After the first 24 hours, I shut it off, waited 5 minutes, and turned it back on. That's when I got the country, language, and keyboard type questions. Then the monitor displayed a dark gray background, and the white cursor, which moved if I moved the mouse
After the second 24 hours, I shut it off, waited 5 minutes, and turned it back on. I got the country, language, and keyboard type questions, plus a screen where I could name my computer. Then the monitor displayed a dark gray background, and the white cursor, which moved if I moved the mouse.
This morning, 18 hours later, I shut it off, waited 5 minutes, and turned it back on. I got a blue screen that said it had to restart. When it restarted, I got the assistant which scanned the drives for errors. Scan said there were no problems, and back we went to the monitor displaying a dark gray background, and the white cursor, which moves if I moved the mouse. That was an hour and 16 minutes ago.
I am sending this to you on a 10-year-old laptop, operating off the same internet connection as the new ; laptop on WiFi, Dell on Ethernet.
What am I missing?
nyc10036
4 Operator
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5.6K Posts
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March 15th, 2022 14:00
return that lemon and get your money back!
if you bought if online from Dell you have only 30 days from either day of order or shipment to return it
DELL-Cares
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27.2K Posts
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March 15th, 2022 13:00
Thank you! We have received the required details. We will work towards a resolution. In the meantime, you may also receive assistance or suggestions from the community members.
LMPeppan
4 Posts
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March 15th, 2022 14:00
Bought it at the local Costco.
RoHe
10 Elder
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45.2K Posts
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March 15th, 2022 16:00
@LMPeppan Does your PC only have onboard Intel Graphics or does it also have an add-in NVidia video card?
If you have an add-in video card, the monitor has to be connected to a port on that card, not to the either of the onboard video ports. Look at the images posted here.
The onboard Intel Graphics HDMI and VGA ports are in the area marked "1" in the "back" image. An add-in video card would be in the area marked "2" in that same image.
What type port are you using on PC and what type port are you using on the monitor? Has the monitor been configured on its own On-Screen Display (OSD) to use that type of port?
Spikesdad
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78 Posts
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March 15th, 2022 20:00
After checking the video connections mentioned by @RoHe , if that doesn't solve it, then take it back to Costco. They will honor returns.
Did you get a new monitor too, or are you using an old one? Do you know, or can you find the make and model number of the monitor?
LMPeppan
4 Posts
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March 15th, 2022 21:00
There was nothing wrong with the video, it was the optical drive according to the quick scan and the advanced scan.. And I took it back to Costco.
RoHe
10 Elder
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45.2K Posts
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March 16th, 2022 11:00
@LMPeppan - If you didn't run those scans with a data CD (not a commercial music or video disc) in that drive, you'd get an optical drive failure error simply because it looked for a disc but didn't see any.
The tests can't tell the difference between a failed laser in the optical drive or if there's just no disc in the drive...
LMPeppan
4 Posts
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March 16th, 2022 20:00
I then find it odd that the scans accessible from the Dell Pre-boot screen don't say to put a data CD in the optical drive before scanning it.
That said, this is purely academic now. The CPU is returned --I gave the fellow the Error Code that both the Quick Scan and the Advanced scan said was the problem--and used my refund to get another computer.
Thank you, though.
Jahs3668
2 Posts
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March 17th, 2022 08:00
I was having a similar problem and was told it had something to do with the bios. However, after unplugging and letting it sit for two days the problem went away. And let me add that just because a computer develops a negative issue doesn't classify it as a 'lemon'. Like cars or any other device, none of them are perfect and will always require some type of maintenance.
RoHe
10 Elder
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45.2K Posts
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March 17th, 2022 11:00
@LMPeppan Did you get another Inspiron 3891 or something else?
Agreed, the optical drive diagnostics should prompt you to put a disc in the drive, but, unfortunately they don't.
And as I said, all the test knows is that it doesn't see a beam being reflected to the detector.